William Thomas Stead
William Thomas Stead (1849-1912), usually known as "W. T. Stead," was a prominent investigative journalist in Victorian England. He was a friend of Annie Besant before she became associated with the Theosophical Society. After he asked her to write an article about The Secret Doctrine for his journal Review of Reviews, she became a Theosophist.
For nine years, Stead edited the Darlington Northern Echo, and then, from 1880-1889, he was assistant editor of the Pall Mall Gazette in London. His radical views and social activism often triggered opposition. He founded Review of Reviews in 1890, and from 1893-1897 also produced the spiritualist magazine Borderland. He experienced several strong premonitions, and one such experience, on January 1, 1880, made him believe that he would find a new position in London, which seemed unlikely but came true.[1][2]
He was a passenger on the Titanic and died on April 15, 1912, when it sank.
Writings
Stead wrote several books:
- If Christ Came to Chicago.
- Real Ghost Stories.